Double Standard

Dave Killion — December 4, 2012

Don’t worry… it breaks down naturally!

Governments in general, and their militaries in particular, are the greatest polluters and most environmentally destructive institutions that exist. However, environmentalists, voters, and the media seldom hold the state to account for its ecologically unsound practices. Witness the government road network, from which has spewed countless tons of toxic gases and minerals. Were this network in private hands, is there any doubt the public would be baying for protection and restitution? Sadly, the outrage of those aforementioned groups (manipulated by politicians to their own benefit) is reserved entirely for private entities.

For a more current example, recall the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The howling of the media and the professional environmentalists was deafening, and predictably accompanied by the stern assurances of the U.S. administration that B.P. would not only pay, but pay and pay and pay and pay….

Contrast that to the numerousaccounts of raw sewage flooding east coast waterways during and after Hurricane Sandy. Although the media was able to rouse itself to report some of the spills, its tone was very temperate, even compared to the non-response of environmental groups. The very fact that sewage is treated prior to disposal is sufficient evidence that it, like oil, must be extremely detrimental to both human health and the environment, particularly when contamination occurs on a large scale. But has the government condemned its own irresponsibility with the same vigour it exercised over the Gulf Oil spill? Not on your life –

“Officials say there are no cleanup plans because raw sewage breaks down and gets diluted in large bodies of water. But they advise people to stay away from flood waters and assume they’re contaminated. (Connecticut) Gov. Dannel P. Malloy quipped that people should avoid eating clams and oysters from Long Island Sound.”

Thanks for the tip! Of course, it was pointed out that oil in the Gulf would also break down and dilute in that large body of water, but no one found that response particularly satisfying. Luckily for Governor Malloy and his peers, accountability appears not to be something politicians need worry about.